PREAMBLE: This section contains the bylaws of
Faculty Senate which serve to expand on Article V of the Faculty
Constitution (1520). This section first appeared in the 1979 edition of
the Handbook and has remained substantially the same, minor title changes
aside, ever since. In January 2010 the Faculty Council changed its name to
Faculty Senate. In 2011 the requirements for publishing senate meeting minutes were revised to reflect changes in publishing processes across the university.
In July 2012 the election process for the graduate student representative on
Senate was clarified.
In July 2013 the Faculty
Senate's membership was increased again by one member to represent the Student
Bar Association. For further information, contact the Office of the
Faculty Secretary (208-885-6151). [ed. 7-11, rev. 7-10, 7-11, 7-12, 7-13]

ARTICLE
I--FUNCTION AND MEMBERSHIP. The
function and membership of the Faculty Senate are as provided in the
constitution of the university faculty. [See
1520 I-3 and V.] [ed. 7-10]ARTICLE
II--DUTIES OF OFFICERS.

Section 1. Chair. The
chair shall: preside at meetings of
the senate; appoint the secretary, subject to confirmation by the senate;
appoint special or ad hoc committees in consultation with the senate;
maintain lines of communication between the senate and the president, between
the senate and the university faculty, and between the senate and the Staff
Affairs Committee; serve as a member ex officio without vote of all committees
and similar bodies under the jurisdiction of the university faculty; and perform
all other duties pertaining to the office of chair. Given the nature of leadership responsibilities and time requirements of
this position, it is UI administrative policy that the chair is given the
opportunity for release time of up to one course per semester, or equivalent.
[ed. 7-10]Section 2. Vice Chair. The
vice chair shall: assume the duties
and responsibilities of the chair in the temporary absence or disability of the
chair; serve as chair of the Committee on Committees; and perform such other
duties as may be assigned by the chair or by the senate. [ed. 7-10]Section
3. Secretary. The secretary shall: maintain
an accurate record of all meetings of the senate; publish the minutes or a
summary thereof on the Faculty Senate website as soon as possible after they are approved; file
official copies of the minutes, together with appropriate exhibits, and in the Department of Special Collections and Archives in the
University Library for safekeeping; prepare reports of policy actions taken by
the senate for review by the university faculty, president, and regents;
maintain a file of the minutes of university-level standing committees; maintain
a file of the current bylaws of the senate and of its standing committees; and perform
such other duties as may be assigned by the chair or by the senate.
[ed. 7-97, 7-10, rev. 7-11]

Section 1. Members. The
terms of office for members of the senate are as provided in the constitution
of the university faculty [1520
V-4] and in accordance with these bylaws. [ed. 7-10]Section 2. Officers. The term of
office for officers of the senate is one year, beginning on September 1 or on
the official opening date of the academic year, whichever is earlier. No member may serve as chair more than two consecutive one-year
terms. [ed. 7-10]Section
3. Members Completing Unexpired
Terms. A member who has been elected or appointed to complete the unexpired term
of another member and has served more than half of that member's normal term of
office is ineligible for membership on the senate until one year has elapsed.
[ed. 7-10]

Section 1. Nomination. Each
spring, as soon as practicable following the appointment and election of new
members of the senate, the president of the university or the president's
designated representative calls and presides at a meeting of those who will be
members during the ensuing year for the purpose of nominating candidates for the
offices of chair and vice chair. Nominations
are by secret ballot, and no other official business is transacted at this
meeting. [ed. 7-10]Section 2. Election. Not
less than three days following the nominating meeting referred to in section 1,
above, the president or the president's designated representative calls and
presides at a second meeting of the same group for the purpose of electing the
chair and the vice chair for the ensuing term. No other official business is transacted at this meeting.
The requirement that there be no less than three days between the two
meetings may be suspended only by the unanimous consent of the members in
attendance. The procedures for the
election are as follows:

Clause A. Additional
Nominations. Before balloting
begins for each office, additional nominations may be made for that office.

Clause B. Procedure for Balloting. Elections for
officers of the senate are by secret ballot, and a majority of all votes cast
is necessary for election, a quorum being present [see V-3]. In the event that more than two candidates are nominated for either
office and none receives a majority of the votes cast on the first ballot,
balloting continues with the name of the candidate receiving the fewest votes
being dropped from the ballot after each vote. In the event that there is no candidate with the fewest votes, balloting
continues with all names included until such time as a candidate receives a
majority of votes (in which case he or she is declared elected) or until a
candidate receives the fewest votes (in which case his or her name is dropped
from the ballot and the balloting continues). [ed. 7-97, 7-10]

Section 1. Regular Meetings. The
senate determines the time and place for its regular meetings. [ed. 7-10]Section 2. Special Meetings. Special
meetings of the senate may be called at any time by the chair. Such meetings must be called upon the request of the president of the
university or the president's designated repre­sentative. Meetings may be convened by 35 percent of the voting membership with a
three-day written notice to all members. [ed. 7-10]Section 3. Quorum. A
quorum is half of the voting members of the senate, including half of the
elected membership. [ed. 7-10]Section
4. Agenda. The
chair is responsible for the agenda and causes it to be issued at least one day
before each regular meeting. Notice
of special meetings may be given orally, provided each member so notified is
informed of the purpose of the special meeting.
Section 5. Order of Business. The
usual order of business for regular meetings is: (a) approval of the minutes of the previous meeting; (b) communications;
(c) committee reports; (d) special orders; (e) unfinished business and general
orders; and (f) new business.
Section 6. Communications. Communications that
require action by the senate should be furnished in
sufficient quantity to provide one copy for each member of
the senate and five copies for the secretary. [ed. 7-10]Section 7. Alternates. Alternates
participate in meetings of the senate only as permitted by the constitution of
the university faculty [see 1520 V-7]. This
rule does not preclude a member from having another person attend the meeting in
his or her stead as an auditor. [ed. 7-10]Section 8. Policy Actions. Before
each regular meeting of the senate, the agenda for that meeting is to be
published on the Faculty Senate website. The website shall include the number, if any, and the title of each agenda
item involving the formulation or substantive change of policy and also include
a link to the proposed redline document. Final action may not be taken on any such item
unless it has been included in an agenda previously published on the website and
distributed electronically to all senators (preferably the Friday before the
meeting, but no later than 24 hours prior to the meeting, see Section 4
above); this requirement for prior notice may be suspended only
in emergencies and with approval by a two-thirds vote of the senate members in
attendance at a meeting, a quorum being present. [ed. 7-97, 7-10, rev.
7-11]Section 9. Motions. Motions
involving the formulation or change of policy should be in writing and handed to
the secretary. The minutes are to
show the names of the person making a motion and of the seconder.
Section 10. Record of Attendance. The
minutes are to show the names of members attending and of those absent from
meetings.

Section 11. Voting. Voting on
motions is by raising a hand. Proxy votes are not
allowed. (According to a standing rule of the
senate, the chair does not ask how many members abstained
from voting on a particular motion, and abstentions are
not recorded in the minutes unless a member requests that
his or her abstention be recorded.) [ed. 7-10]

Section 12. Open Meetings. The
university faculty's general regulations governing committee meetings, including
meetings of the Faculty Senate, are contained in FSH 1620.
[ed. 7-10]

Section 13. Publication of Minutes. The complete text or a summary of the approved minutes of meetings of
the senate is published on the Faculty Senate website and sent electronically to
senate members at least one day before the meeting at which they will be
ratified. [ed.
7-97, 7-10, rev. 7-11]

Section 1. Qualifications. The
two undergraduate-student representatives must have completed at least 26
credits at UI before taking office and must be full-time students as defined in
the catalog (regulation O-1). The
graduate-student representative must be regularly enrolled in a program leading
to an advanced degree.

Section 2. Terms of
Office. Student members are elected for one-year
terms and are eligible for reelection for a second term.

Section 3. Election. The
election of the two undergraduate-student representatives to serve on the senate is entrusted to the ASUI Senate.
The election of one graduate-student representative is entrusted to the
Graduate and Professional Student Association. The election of one
law-student representative is entrusted to the Student Bar Association.
[ed. 7-10, rev. 7-12, 7-13]

Section 4. Vacancies. Vacancies
occurring in student positions are filled by the ASUI and GPSA as appropriate.
[rev. 7-12]

Section 1. Function. The
function of the Executive Committee is to act for the senate on emergency
matters when the senate will not be in regular session for a period of more
than two weeks and a quorum cannot easily be convened. The Executive Committee reports to and is subject to the orders of the
senate, and the senate retains the authority to review actions of the
Executive Committee. [ed. 7-10]

Section 2. Structure and
Quorum. The Executive Committee is made up of
such members of the senate as are present at a meeting
called upon 36 hours' written or oral notice. Seven
voting members of the senate constitute a quorum for
meetings of the Executive Committee. [ed. 7-10]

Section 3. Officers. The officers of
the senate also serve as the officers of the Executive
Committee. In the absence or incapacity of both the
chair and the vice chair, the members of the Executive
Committee attending the meeting designate a chair pro
tempore. [ed. 7-10]

Section 4. Call of Meetings. Meetings
of the Executive Committee may be called on 36 hours'
notice by the chair or vice chair or by the president of
the university or the president's designee.

Section
1. Authority of the Faculty Senate. Under the authority of the constitution of the university
faculty, the senate has the responsibility to establish and maintain all
university-wide and interdivisional standing and special committees, except
those specifically reserved to the president. [See 1420
A-1-c and
1520 IV-11.]
[ed.
7-00, 7-10]Section 2. General Regulations. The
general regulations governing committees, as adopted by the senate and the
university faculty, are contained in 1620. [ed. 7-10]

ARTICLE
IX--RULES OF ORDER. [See 1520 VI.]
ARTICLE
X--AMENDMENTS. These bylaws may
be amended by a majority vote of the university faculty, as defined in the
constitution of the university faculty [see 1520
II-1], in attendance at a
regular meeting, a quorum being present. Amendments
that conflict with any provision of the constitution of the university faculty
or with regents' policies are without effect. Proposed amendments must have been published in full in the agenda at
least one week before the meeting of the university faculty or presented in
writing at a meeting previous to the one at which the vote is to be taken.